48 long-lost inheritances in Sheffield worth thousands waiting for their rightful heir as estates go unclaimed

The details of almost 50 unclaimed estates of people who died in Sheffield have been revealed by The Treasury, with hundreds of thousands of pounds of inheritance waiting for a rightful heir.

The latest Treasury list shows there are almost 6,000 unclaimed estates across the UK – and 48 of those belong to people who died in Sheffield.

It is estimated that around £80 million is sat in limbo in Treasury coffers. The Treasury only advertises estates with a net value of £500 or above.

Unclaimed estates usually occur when the deceased has not left a will or the beneficiaries of the will cannot be traced – and the next of kin, following the rules of intestacy, cannot be found either.

Fiona Mainwaring, Head of Wills and Probate at Stafford-based law firm ORJ, said: “There are clear rules in place to distribute an estate to family members when there is no will in place, following a strict order of priority that starts with married or civil partners and ends with half aunts and uncles.

“If no beneficiaries can be traced, the estate simply sits in limbo until after 30 years it becomes the property of The Crown.

“With people moving around the world more than ever, it is no surprise that it is sometimes difficult to track down the next of kin. The result is these forgotten fortunes sit dormant and are eventually surrendered.

"The sheer volume of unclaimed estates shows how important it is to have a valid, up-to-date will, along with a named executor, which makes it much easier to divide assets when the time comes."

The surnames for unclaimed estates in Sheffield include: Watson, Bailey, Ali-Bin-Ali, Allen, Box, Brown, Casson, Cooper, Davies, Dejneka and Donaghy.

The full list of unclaimed estates, as well as the names of the deceased, their date and place of birth, and other clues that could help find their heir, can be read here on the Government website.

Fiona said anyone who believes they might have been left something in a will can search the probate records so they know who to contact when the estate is dealt with.

“If there is a will, it is possible to get a copy for a nominal fee along with the Grant of Probate, which will include the executor’s contact details,” added Fiona.

“If there is no will and you believe you qualify through the intestacy rules, a copy of the Grant of Letters of Administration can be obtained which will include the Administrators’ details.”

1. Dennis John King - died in Sheffield on 20/01/24, aged 61

2. Judith Margaret Perry - died in Middlesex on 14/12/21, aged 74

3. Barry Roy Rollett - died in Sheffield on 13/06/23, aged 81

4. David John Treddinick - died in Sheffield on 13/11/19, aged 79

5. Nargis Bashir White - died in Sheffield on 04/10/20, aged 60

6. Frank Brown - died in Sheffield on 08/12/09, aged 70

7. Arthur Little - died in Sheffield on 13/07/01, aged 77

8. Michael George Naylor - died in Sheffield on 07/05/19, aged 84

9. Dennis Patrick Murphy - died in Sheffield on 12/10/10, aged 78

10. John Henry Littlewood - died in Sheffield on 03/05/06, aged 61

11. Eric Roger Taylor - died in Sheffield on 04/06/06, aged 53

12. Jessica Beatrice Fletcher - died in Sheffield on 11/09/18, aged 75

13. Stefan Kolencik - died in Sheffield on 14/03/16, aged 60

14. Anthony James Ibbotson - died in Sheffield on 18/01/16, aged 60

15. Rohim Box - died in Sheffield on 14/12/14, aged 95

16. Frederick Cooper - died in Sheffield on 13/12/13, aged 76

17. Susan Elizabeth Bailey - died in Sheffield on 13/08/13, aged 70

18. Akinlolu Olaniran Williams - died in Sheffield on 26/07/13, aged 77

19. Paul Martin - died in Sheffield on 05/03/13, aged 55

20. Margaret Nancy Wheatcroft - died in Sheffield on 03/04/13 - aged 74

21. Raj Parmar - died in Sheffield on 11/05/10, aged 73

22. Joseph Neil Taylor - died in Sheffield on 02/03/13, aged 73

23. David John Watson - died in Sheffield on 17/01/13, aged 64

24. Michael Patrick McDermott - died in Sheffield on 21/01/13, aged 59

25. Mohammed Wazir - died in Sheffield on 21/10/04, date of birth unknown

26. Christina Casson - died in Sheffield on 06/01/96, aged 73

27. Mohammed Ali-Bin-Ali - died in Sheffield on 23/04/07, aged 76

28. Joseph Dejneka - died in Sheffield on 27/07/09, aged 90

29. Michael Harry Donovan - died in Sheffield on 17/06/97, aged 76

30. Robertson Alexander Locke - died in Sheffield on 21/10/08, aged 70

31. Kirsty Louise Pegg - died in Sheffield on 12/04/96, date of birth unknown

32. Betty Sheldon Watson - died in Sheffield on 04/02/04, aged 84

33. Alfred Donald Yates - died in Sheffield on 06/12/01, aged 76

34. Francis McGinty - died in Sheffield on 01/04/01, date of birth unknown

35. Alan Allen - died in Sheffield on 06/01/99, aged 60

36. Glyn Barry Davies - died in Sheffield on 03/11/04

37. James Donaghy - died in Sheffield on 17/02/96, date of birth unknown

38. Eric Thomas Hill - died in Sheffield on 01/01/09, aged 72

39. Linda Susan Jamieson - died in Sheffield on 11/10/06, aged 65

40. William Johanes - died in Sheffield on 23/09/08, date of birth unknown

41. Istvan Steven Juhasz - died in Sheffield on 18/01/05, aged 91

42. Sylvia Keatley - died in Sheffield on 09/08/01, aged 54

43. Anton Prystasz - died in Sheffield on 29/07/96, aged 82

44. Audrey Ronksley - died in Sheffield on 03/07/98, aged 64

45. Audrey Waring Wainwright - died in Sheffield on 25/09/06, aged 74

46. Dorothy Walker - died in Sheffield on 05/02/98, date of birth unknown

47. Nellie Wilkinson - died in Sheffield on 30/07/95, aged 67

48. Geoffrey Wood - died in Sheffield on 16/08/00, aged 87